IF the Australian Rugby Union is serious about fixing the rotting carcass that is the once-proud Wallabies, then the first port of call must be sacking Robbie Deans and appointing Ewen McKenzie.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal McKenzie has a get-out clause in his Reds contract should the ARU finally pluck the conviction to abandon the Deans experiment and adopt a fresh direction.

Sure, McKenzie is signed at the Reds until the end of the 2014 Super 15 season but if the ARU have any desire to re-ignite some form of interest in rugby then he must be handed the Wallabies top job. Immediately.

Let McKenzie complete his Super 15 commitments then take up the Wallaby posting prior to the British and Irish Lions' arrival. Otherwise, who knows where the code could be in another two years.

Even the most staunch rugby supporter admits the code at present is on life-support, with fans turning their back on the sport in disgust. Former ARU chief executive John O'Neill intelligently opted to jump before the ship was completely submerged but the result is now a code in disarray.

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